Edwards (13-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) outpointed Brazilian Vicente Luque (11-6-1 MMA, 4-2 UFC) in their UFC Fight Pass-streamed prelim at The O2 in London and admitted after the bout he had to fight smart against one of the most dangerous opponents of his career.

“I knew Luque was a very tough opponent,” Edwards said. “His last two fights were a clean KO, so I knew I had to be careful and not rush too much into it, so that was a good win for me.”

That good win means he’ll progress up the welterweight ladder with bigger fights around the corner. The usually understated Edwards isn’t normally one to call out fighters for his next assignment, but he made an exception this time, saying he’d love a fight with Donald Cerrone.

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When asked about his thinking behind the callout, Edwards played it down, saying there was “no specific reason” for picking “Cowboy” other than his belief that he’d like to test his skills against the evergreen fan favorite.

“I think I match up well against him,” he said. “I’ve been watching him over the years, and I like his Thai boxing style, and I think I can counter that. So I’d like to challenge myself.”

While facing Cerrone would provide him with the chance to test himself against one of the UFC’s household names, Edwards said the most important thing he wants in his career right now is progression.

“If not (him) I’d like someone in the top 15,” he said. “I want to keep climbing. I’d just beaten the No. 13 guy in the world (in the UFC rankings), which is Albert (Tumenov), and (now) I fought Luque, so I’d like to keep improving to get to where I want to get to, which is the title. So as long as it’s another opponent above me, I don’t mind who I get.”

And Edwards admitted it was satisfying to be able to showcase his skills as a well-rounded mixed martial artist as he looks to prove that British fighters have evolved.

“It’s very important for me,” he said. “I think when I fought a wrestler (in Kamaru Usman), I didn’t get to show my skill set. But my last two or three fights, I got to show I’m good on the ground, good at jiu-jitsu and good striking.

“It’s very important to show that I can do everything so they don’t come with one game plan thinking, ‘Just take him down, he’s from England, they can’t wrestle.’ So I’m very happy with my performance.”

Matt Brown performed an honest career calculation that led him to his decision to retire after his next fight. His opponent, Diego Sanchez, seems to have chosen the opposite path. For many aging fighters, these are the two choices, and neither is an easy one to make.